Umbrella runner



T. H.' LLOYD UMBRELLA RUNNER July 28, 1925.

Filed Jan. 14, 1922 Patented July 28, 1925.

I mourns HUXLEY LLOYD, or mvnnunss. rmmnai UMBRELLA BURNER.

Application filed J'anuary-14, 1922.. Serial No. 529,300.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs HUXLEY:

I LLOYD, a citizen ofthe United States, and

resident of Inverness, in the countyof Citrus and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrella Runners, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates. -to umbrellas, hav

1o ing references particularly to an improved umbrella runner.

the provision of a device of this character which is of such construction as to be readily operable without necessity of directly handling the spring-catch and entailing liability of abrading the fingers of a user.

In carrying out my invention I provide a concealed spring-catch having two camfaces and an intermediate notch, a'tubular runner having a longitudinal slot, and a latch extended across said slot for engaging the notch of the spring-catch, and a springcontrolled reciprocative slide for actuating the spring-catch, and means for preventing rotation of the elements, all as hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in the appended claims. 1 V In the accompanying drawings forming 80 part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an umbrella stick having my improved device attached and showing a rib and stretcher in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4' is a perspective view of the tubular runner.

" In the drawings, 1 indicates a tubular runner having the ordinary Y peripherally notched and annularly grooved head 3, to which the inner ends of the stretchers are 1 adapted to be swingingly attached, in the usual manner common to all umbrellas.

The runner 1 is provided with a longitudinal slot 4, having tongues 5 extended from each side and a segment 6 which closes the 1 slot 5 at a point midway between its two ends, said segment constituting a latch for engaging a spring-catch hereinafter described. The runner 1 is further provided with radially extended tongues 7, arranged diametrically opposite each other for slid-' able engagement with grooved bearing mem-' bers 8, of the reciprocative slide which comprises a cylindrical casing 9 and sleeves or bearing members'lO, which are in frictional contact with the runner 1. These bearing members 1O are respectively provided with an inwardly extended tongue 11, which bears between the longitudinal tongues 5 of the runner 1, whereby rotation of the slide on the runner is prevented.

. Mounted within thecylinder- 9 and hearing between the tongues? of the runnerl is I a contractile spring 12 for automatically The invention has for its principal object actuating the slide in' either direction, in a manner as hereinafter'described. V

The-runner 1 is mounted on the usual stick 13, which may be composed of solid wood or tubular metal as may be desired. Mounted within a recess 14 of-the stick 13, by means of a suitable rivet, as 15, is the spring-catch comprising a plate-spring 16 and the catch member 17 having a notch 18, for engaging the latch 6, and cam-faces 19 and 20 adapted for contact with the tongues 11 of the slide when the same is reciprocated.

In the operation and use of the invention, when it is desired to raise the umbrella, it is simply necessary to move the slide in the di- 1 rection of the arrow a, Fig. 1 of the drawings, for a sufficient distance to allow the lower tongue 11 to contact with and ride on the cam-face 19 sufliciently to swing the catch 17 out of engagement with the latch 6, whereupon the runner 1 may be moved upwardly'on the stick 13 sufiiciently to open the umbrella and allow the latch 6 to engage the upper spring-catch 17 in the customary manner. To close the umbrella the operation is reversed, that is, the slide is simply pulled in an opposite direction until the upper tongue 11 releases the latch 6 from the notch 18 of the spring-catch, the spring 12 automatically acting to reengage the latch 6 with the notch-of the lower spring-catch when the slide is released.

While I have illustrated and described a fair example of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the specific details of mere construction of the I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the character described,

a transversely slotted-spring-catch, a slotted cam-faces and'an intermediate notch, and a tubular runner having a longitudinal slot and a latch extended across said slot and 7 adapted for engaging the notch of said spring-catch, and a spring-controlled reciprocative slide for actuating the spring-catch, and means forpreventing rotation of the; slide on therunner. 3 An umbrella operating means coinprising a runner provided With a longitudinal slot, a segment bridgingthe slot midway its' ends, a spring catch provided with a trans verse slot adapted to operatively receive the segment, and a spring controlled casing 1,547,929 a i z p mounted for slidable movement on the runner and having means for-moving said catch ofi ofthe segment whereby said runner may be operated. v a r arAn umbrella operating means of the 'c'haracterf described comprising a runner described,

mounted for slidable movement upon the "stick oftheumbrella, spring catches secured Within the stick and provided with cammed. ends, a segment latch formed on the runner to receive the catches, a cylindrical casing surrounding the runner for non-rotatable slidable movement, bearings formed on the ends of the casing for releasing said catches for engagement .vith the cannned fends there of, and a coil spring arrangedin said casing;

position to retain and return itto normal as and for the purpose specified;

*Signed at Inverness in thecounty of Cit ms .and State of Florida this 9th of November A D. 1921; w

THOMAS H-UXLEY LLo Yi 

